To improve hiring decisions, founders should proactively meet top performers in roles they anticipate needing in 2-3 quarters. This isn't for immediate hiring but to build a mental model of excellence for that specific function and stage, which sharpens intuition when you do start recruiting.

The founder intentionally waited years to bring on a co-founder, passing on other qualified candidates who weren't a perfect fit. Finding the right partner with a critical mix of skills (mining engineering, project finance) and pre-existing advisory relationship was a bigger priority than filling the role quickly.

Failing to hire senior leaders 6-9 months ahead of need creates a leadership capacity gap in hyper-growth. This forces last-minute, high-effort plays to barely make the number, when a well-staffed team would have exceeded it. Plan for the long lead time of finding and ramping senior talent.

The firm intentionally uses a 6-to-12-month hiring process, fully accepting it will lose some candidates. This deliberate friction acts as a powerful filter, selecting for patient individuals who are genuinely committed to a long-term career and ensuring deep cultural alignment.

Figma avoids "fast one" hires by engaging candidates for extended periods (9+ months). They provide deep, transparent access, even sharing raw data from Salesforce, to ensure the executive fully understands the company's challenges before joining, leading to better long-term fit.

To make a hire "weird if they didn't work," don't hire for potential or vibe. Instead, find candidates who have already succeeded in a nearly identical role—selling a similar product to a similar audience at a similar company stage. This drastically reduces performance variables.

Delaying key hires to find the "perfect" candidate is a mistake. The best outcomes come from building a strong team around the founder early on, even if it requires calibration later. Waiting for ideal additions doesn't create better companies; early execution talent does.

Leaders in rapidly scaling companies must anticipate leadership needs 6-9 months in advance. Waiting until the gap is obvious means you are already behind, given the long recruitment and ramp times for senior talent. This lag creates a capacity bottleneck that can cause the company to miss its goals.

The long-term cost of a bad hire—in time, morale, and opportunity—far outweighs the short-term pain of a missed headcount target. Figma's CRO would rather leave a seat open for months than fill it with a candidate he's not truly excited about, even a "solid B player."